Finding Rest in God's Presence: Exchanging Toil for Oil

Finding Rest in God's Presence: Exchanging Toil for Oil

Have you ever felt like you're constantly grinding, working hard, but still feeling exhausted and unproductive? Many of us experience seasons of friction in our lives where everything feels difficult. The good news is that God never intended for us to live in constant toil. There's a better way to live and work - with the oil of God's presence making everything smoother.

What Is Spiritual Friction and Why Does It Matter?

Friction isn't always bad. Like sandpaper, it can remove rust and refine us. But improper friction in our spiritual lives can cause damage - like road rash when you fall while running. This kind of friction wears us down and makes our journey with God painful.

Think about an engine. Metal parts constantly move against each other, and without proper lubrication, the engine would quickly break down. The solution isn't to stop the engine from running - it's to add oil.

"Too much friction causes overheating. You don't need to stop moving. Just increase the oil and reduce the friction."

The anointing of God reduces friction while you work. The oil keeps you from breaking down and overheating. You don't have to change the work; you need to change what's on you.

Why Do We Feel Spiritually Dry?

Just as contaminated water can clog your pores and lead to dry skin, spiritual contaminants can block the natural flow of God's Spirit from within us. When this happens, we stop producing our own "oil" and have to substitute it with something else.

The beautiful thing is that producing spiritual oil doesn't come from your works. Your body naturally produces moisture - you don't have to strive for it. Similarly, the Holy Spirit dwelling inside you is meant to naturally flow out of you.

When we're blocked, we try to substitute with something else. We strive and work harder, thinking that will produce the anointing, when what we really need is to clear the blockages and let God's Spirit flow.

Is Toiling Part of God's Plan for Us?

Toil and striving are consequences of the curse, not God's original design. After Adam and Eve fell, God said, "You will have to toil over this ground." The grinding, exhausting work wasn't part of the original plan.

"Toil and striving is a consequence of the curse. When you toil and strive, you are placing yourself back under the curse."

American culture often celebrates "the grind" - working until exhaustion. But God's intention was for us to be fruitful and multiply without grinding ourselves down. When you have God's power on you, when you have the oil of heaven on you, it won't be a grind anymore.

How Does the Anointing Break the Yoke?

Isaiah 10:27 tells us: "The yoke will be broken because of fatness (oil/anointing)." The anointing doesn't remove the yoke by struggle - it breaks it by flow. The yoke doesn't break because you try harder; it breaks because you are oily enough to slip out of it.

This is what happened with David. When Samuel anointed him with oil, "the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward." This anointing made him slippery to the attacks of Saul. David didn't need to fight Saul to win - the anointing on him made Saul powerless to stop his destiny.

"When you're anointed, your enemies may come close, but they can't stick. The oil makes every attack slide off your life."

It's hard to hold onto someone who's slippery. If the enemy can grab you, it might be because you're dry, not filled with the Holy Spirit.

How Can We Host God's Presence?

In 2 Samuel 6:11, we read about Obed Edom, who hosted the Ark of the Covenant (God's presence) in his home for three months. The result? "The Lord blessed Obed Edom and all his household."

Obed Edom didn't toil for God's blessing. He simply made space for God's presence, and blessing followed. The blessing wasn't just for him but extended to his entire household - everyone who lived there, not just visitors.

"Don't chase blessing. Host the presence. Blessing is drawn to the oil."

Some people just show up at church occasionally for a quick fix, but they're not part of the family. They wonder why they can't get a blessing on their life. The blessing came to those who were counted as family, who lived in the household.

What Happens When We Enter God's Presence?

When you enter God's presence, you inherit His promises. You don't just encounter His presence; you inherit a promise. Every time you come into His presence, you walk out more of a promise-carrier than before.

You inherit what you surround yourself with. If you don't put yourself in a godly environment where God's presence is nurtured, you'll inherit something from wherever you are spending your time.

"When you are faithful to His presence, His favor will follow you home."

How Can We Labor in Rest?

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-30). We don't have to work until we're ground down. We can labor in rest.

In a vision, God showed what it looks like to labor in His rest. The picture was of lying in a wheat field while Jesus harvested around with a sickle. The message was clear: "I'm the one who brings in the harvest. I just want you to be present with me and talk to me while I do it."

We're not responsible for the outcome. We're responsible for being in His presence while He harvests. Stop trying to be responsible for the outcome and just be in His presence.

Life Application

Here's a challenge: Be in God's presence consistently for three months. Show up where His presence is hosted. Don't miss, don't make excuses, don't tap out. See how your life is impacted.

Stop trying to produce what should just be received. Recognize that our production is not the Holy Spirit or the presence of God - that's just received. We can rest in that receiving.

Ask yourself:

• Where am I experiencing friction in my life right now?

• Am I trying to produce through toil what should come through God's presence?

• What contaminants might be blocking the flow of God's Spirit in my life?

• How can I position myself to receive more of God's presence this week?

Remember, you don't need to change the work; you need to change what's on you. The oil of God's presence will make everything smoother, allowing you to accomplish more with less effort and greater joy.